Thursday, August 16, 2012

The Alligators are Here!

We've got a treat today! C. Lee McKenzie is here today to share about her awesome new book Alligators Upstairs.

Thanks for letting me talk about my book on your blog, Jemi. I appreciate this opportunity a lot.

Here’s what the book is about.

Alligators, witches and a spooky mansion aren't your average neighbors unless you live at the edge of the Ornofree swamp in the backwater town of Hadleyville. The town's bad boy, Pete Riley, may only be twelve, but he's up to his eyeballs in big trouble, and this time he isn't the cause. This time the trouble arrives when a legendary hundred-year-old mansion materializes next door and the Ornofree alligators declare war to save their swamp from bulldozers. Things only get worse when Pete's guardian aunt and several of her close friends vanish while trying to restore order using outdated witchcraft. Now Pete must find the witches and stop the war. He might stand a chance if his one friend, Weasel, sticks with him, but even then, they may not have what it takes.

About the author:

C. Lee is writer who captures the pulse of adolescent confusion in her Young Adult fiction, Sliding on the Edge and The Princess of Las Pulgas. She admits to revealing a lot of her Old Adult confusion while doing that. Alligators Overhead is her first Middle Grade novel. She lives in California with her husband and assorted animals at the edge of a redwood forest. Lee blogs at The Write Game and she’d love a visit at her WEBSITE.

So many people ask me "So why alligators?" I used to answer, “Why not?” But lately, I've been besieged by cats demanding that I rewrite the book, replacing the alligators with them as the witch familiars. They've gone so far as to threaten book banning!

You may have seen some of the NEWS ARTICLES. Fortunately, the cats have some sort of conference this week so I have a little time to prepare my arguments. This has been very upsetting. The cover is out. The trailer is out. The book is out! I'm hoping these cats will come to their senses and let the book and me alone. In the meantime, I'm looking for suggestions about how to deal with the situation, so if you or any of your readers can come up with a solution or a great negotiating point I'm giving that person a free eBook--any format. I'd also appreciate if they'd stop in and give my new page a like. The alligators need to know they're not losing this popularity contest to the cats.

Leave your suggestions in the comments and I'll choose a winning entry.

Thanks again for letting me visit, Jemi.

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You're very welcome Lee. I LOVED the book! It's a fabulous MG adventure story and I know my students are going to love it!

How great to be here in Jemi's blog. And I'm one happy writer to find such a great group of visitors already. @Thanks, Alex, for the catnip tip. I may just have to resort to drugs. @DEZMOND can I quote you? I love the word refined.@Thank you A.@Thank you Susan.@Thank you DMS. Is there an extra hint available for your next riddle? Or is that fair to ask? :-)

Alligators haven't received the literary recognition they deserve. On another note, recently as I was passing through Louisiana, I stopped in a store that sold alligator sausage. Are we ready for that?

I think there is a comment Gremlin out there. I think this is the third blog I've been to today that my comment didn't show. My blond brain cell must've been misfiring yesterday. :)I am so excited about C. Lee's Alligator book. That trailer is awesome!!

I am so proud on behalf of all cats that those felines are getting down and dirty! But this time I think my furry friends are wrong. Alligators sound just purrfect for this scenario. I'm betting that copies will be snapped up real soon!